VICTORIA ADVOCATE, Sunday, June 27, 2021 —
VictoriaAdvocate.com
BIANCA SMILEY AGE: 26 EDUCATION: Associate degree of science of dental hygiene, Wharton County Junior College CITY OF RESIDENCE: Inez OCCUPATION/TITLE: Owner COMPANY: HarCo at Home, 505 E. Juan Linn St., Victoria, Texas, 77901
HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS INDUSTRY? After being furloughed during the pandemic, I had to think outside the box for a way to continue to bring in income. The idea to create a work-from-home job led to the creation of HarCo’s online boutique and quickly evolved into our brickand-mortar shop located downtown. WHAT DRIVES YOU TO SUCCEED? My children, Harlyn and Colston - the inspiration for HarCo at Home, along with my husband Jake, drive me to succeed. I want my children to be proud of my contribution to this world, know the value of hard work, and the importance of the family. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU HAVE FACED DURING YOUR CAREER? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES? Starting a new business from the ground up has been the biggest challenge I have faced so far. I am fortunate to have had such an amazing support system, from family, to friends, to other small business owners that have helped me grow from day one. They enable me to turn my most stressful days into successful ones. Waking up each day and knowing that exciting things are happening allows me to face each day head on. WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE CURRENT AND FUTURE STATE OF YOUR CAREER? It is amazing how quickly HarCo at Home was accepted by our community. As a small business owner, the outpouring of support I have received has made my toughest days productive. “Support Small Businesses”, or “Shop Local” isn’t just a slogan in Victoria, it is a way of keeping Victoria prosperous. HarCo’s current success is because I believe that we provide products and services that our customers are looking for locally. Bringing new and exciting products into our boutique will keep customers returning and help HarCo at Home remain a part of our local business community for years to come. IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU SERVE AND GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY? One of HarCo’s missions is to help other individuals, brands, or small business owners by providing them a place to offer their product to the community. Being a part of local fundraisers and events that might bring awareness to various causes is important to me as well. It is my hope that HarCo at Home will host and/or participate in various events throughout the year that can really help make a difference in and around our community. WHAT CHARITY OR NONPROFITS DO YOU SUPPORT AND WHY? There are several charity and non-profit organizations in the Victoria area alone that need our support. I am doing my research on which ones best align with my values and HarCo at Home’s vision. My ultimate goal would be to be able to support and work with several local ones that I can be frequently involved with.
BRIAN BILLINGSLEY AGE: 33 EDUCATION: Abilene Christian University CITY OF RESIDENCE: Victoria OCCUPATION/TITLE: Vice president COMPANY: Office Systems
HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS INDUSTRY? I starting working a summer internship in college. A friend of mine had told me about the internship, and I applied thinking it would be a good way to make a few bucks for the summer. After two months, I was offered a full-time position at the company. WHAT DRIVES YOU TO SUCCEED? At this point in my career, my wife and my two kids are my biggest driving factor. I strive to be able to take care of them and give them everything I can. I’ve been blessed with great opportunities in life and for that I’m very grateful. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU HAVE FACED DURING YOUR CAREER? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES? Starting out prospecting and cold calling on the streets of San Antonio was definitely a challenge. I worked in an extremely competitive market and had to build a customer base starting from scratch. After many years working in B2B sales, I transitioned into management and found that the only thing harder than acquiring and retaining clients was hiring and cultivating good employees. I found the solution to both of these problems is building vast person and business networks and promoting positive work culture and brand reputation. WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE CURRENT AND FUTURE STATE OF YOUR CAREER? Right now I’m excited to see the changes that are happening in the greater Victoria business community. There is a noticeable shift in the climate, away from how its always been done and looking toward innovation and collaboration. I’m eager to be a part of the next generation of change leaders in the Crossroads. There are big changes in technology, and I believe Office Systems is poised in a perfect position to help Victoria adapt. IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU SERVE AND GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY? I serve on the commission for the Parks & Recreation department, the Chamber of Commerce, the UHV School of Business Dean’s Board, Victoria Rotary Club, and I helped to found the Victoria Texas Young Professionals. All of these great organizations help to support the growth and development of a better, more-involved community. WHAT CHARITY OR NONPROFITS DO YOU SUPPORT AND WHY? Office Systems gives back 10% of its profits to charities and nonprofits. Some of these include, YMCA, Boys and Girls Club of Victoria and the Vine School. In addition, Office Systems partners with local schools to also adopt over a dozen families each Christmas and provide them with a three-month supply of groceries as well as presents for all the children.
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BRIAN H. FERGUSON AGE: 35 EDUCATION: High School CITY OF RESIDENCE: Victoria OCCUPATION/TITLE: President COMPANY: Kimberlite Homes, Platinum Homes, South Texas Rentals, SRU Homestore
HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS INDUSTRY? Started out by buying and selling properties for investments purposes and then over the years expanded into rental properties, home building, and land development. WHAT DRIVES YOU TO SUCCEED? Family. I love what I do and work every day to make sure my family has everything they need. That doesn’t just mean my family at home, my family at work as well. We have many team member and their families that rely on us to succeed and I never want to let any of them down. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU HAVE FACED DURING YOUR CAREER? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES? The biggest two have been learning an industry that I was never trained in and adjusting to the market. This has been a very expensive lesson at times. I’m a believer in mistakes, they happen and they are OK as long as you learn to from them. WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE CURRENT AND FUTURE STATE OF YOUR CAREER? Growth. When the company grows so does everyone in it. It allows promotions, new positions for new staff and so much more. We strive every day to focus on our goals for that year. By doing that it allows us to track progress and hit those goals which create growth for everyone involved. IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU SERVE AND GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY? We try to help anywhere we can. Whether it be our annual paint the house where we remodel a home for a veteran or a Christmas shopping spree like we did this past year. I love this town and want to leave it better than we found it. WHAT CHARITY OR NONPROFITS DO YOU SUPPORT AND WHY? I serve on the Crossroads Builders Association currently as past president and have served on this board for many years. It is a nonprofit related to our industry and I feel it’s very important for the home building industry. Now that my time there is coming to an end for now I am looking forward to finding new boards and organizations to spend my time on to help in the community.
